


orange coloured sky

by ceciwrites



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Flirting, Gardens & Gardening, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Summer Jobs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-09
Updated: 2017-08-09
Packaged: 2018-12-13 09:59:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11757456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ceciwrites/pseuds/ceciwrites
Summary: When Magnus hired a new gardener for the summer, he didn't expect his new employee to be accompanied by cold drinks, long talks, and sunsets, but he sure as hell isn't going to complain.aka. the gardener / summer job au no one asked for





	orange coloured sky

**Author's Note:**

  * For [magnusbaene](https://archiveofourown.org/users/magnusbaene/gifts).



> happy birthday my sweet sweet ellie!!! i hope you've had a wonderful day.  
> i love you very much and i hope you enjoy this<3
> 
> thanks to [pat](http://maghnvsbane.tumblr.com/), [elle](http://magnusragnor.tumblr.com), and [ali](http://isabellebiwoods.tumblr.com) for helping me kick this into shape!!!

There’s a light knock on the front door, making Magnus look up from his laptop where he’s been emerged in work for the last couple of hours. 

It’s a little past noon and the sun is shining brightly through the windows and into Magnus’ office. He'd decided to work from home today, wanting to be here to meet his new gardener.

As he makes his way through the house to greet his guest, he’s mentally preparing himself to be met by some lanky teenager with greasy hair and bad posture. 

Simon had called a few weeks ago to let him know that he wasn’t able to work as Magnus’ gardener this summer, like he had for the past three years, due to pre-college activities. He’d immediately promised to find someone else to do it, and Magnus had automatically thought it’d be one of Simon’s high school buddies.

The reality, as he opens the door, is much different, but Magnus is definitely not about to complain. 

The man in front of him is far from a lanky teenager. Sure, he's tall, but the way the fabric of his t-shirt stretches over his muscular chest, defined arms showing underneath the cuffed sleeves, makes it clear that he didn't graduate high school yesterday. 

“Hi, I'm Alec,” the man says, a lopsided smile on his face as he offers Magnus his hand. 

Magnus returns the smile and grabs his hand, shaking it for a bit longer than strictly necessary. 

“Magnus.” 

They spend the next few minutes walking to the old wooden shed in the backyard, Magnus showing him everything as he explains what Simon’s overall tasks used to be.

It's obvious that the garden hasn't been kept since last summer; the grass is tall, the bushes growing wild, and everything else just looks downright depressing. 

“So there's not much to be done really, besides the standard trimming,” Magnus says, fingers fidgeting with the necklaces on his neck. “Sadly my flower bed didn't survive the last time I was puppy sitting.” 

He leans against the open door, watching as Alec looks around the small space. The younger man smiles at him as he runs a hand through his thick dark hair before picking out a couple of tools to get started. 

They're both silent for a few moments before Alec assures him that he can handle things from there. 

“If you need anything, I'll be right inside,” Magnus offers, gesturing to the house behind him as he resists the urge to make an innuendo about ‘handling things’. 

He makes his way back inside to write some business emails and conduct phone appointments. 

After having dealt with the clients in his schedule for two hours, it gets harder to concentrate. He’s promised Cat a draft of their new business plan by the end of the week, but he can’t stop his mind from wandering, somehow finding its way back to the man currently at work in his garden.

Magnus blames the heat. It’s gotten progressively hotter as the afternoon went by and even inside the house, it’s absolutely unbearable. Closing his laptop, he pushes his chair back and gets up from his place at the mahogany desk to get out of his office.

A few minutes later, he makes his way to the back porch, two glasses of lemonade in his hands. He sets them down on the garden table and continues down the steps to the lawn.

By now, most of the grass has been trimmed. He can't see Alec from where he's standing, but the roaring sound of the lawnmower makes it easy to find him. 

When Magnus gets closer, he can't help but watch him for a few moments. Despite the fact that the physical labour and the unforgiving sun are causing him to be covered in sweat, he seems relaxed, happy almost, as if garden work is his favourite pastime. 

It doesn't take Alec long to spot him. He kills the engine and moves towards Magnus, one hand coming up to wipe the sweat off his forehead. 

“Drink break?” Magnus asks. “You look like you could use it.”

Alec seems a bit unsure at first, looking back at the lawnmower as he considers his offer before turning his attention back to Magnus. “Okay.”

“So,” Magnus says as they make their way back across the lawn, sending Alec a curious look, “I’m guessing you’re not one of Simon’s high school buddies?”

The bubbly laugh that he gets in response makes Magnus feel warm all over - and it has nothing to do with the insane heat outside.

“No,” he replies, shaking his head, “I know him through Luke. I’ve heard you’re friends with him?”

They reach the porch and settle by the table. Alec looks like the glass of lemonade is the best thing he’s ever had, and Magnus can’t help but feel a little pleased.

“Yeah, Luke and I go way back, I used to work for him when I was still in college,” he explains, looking out at the garden as he thinks back to the old days. “Once I graduated, we worked together on a few projects, but through the years we’ve become good friends as well.”

“Oh,” is the first thing Alec says. When Magnus looks back at him, there’s an amused expression painted across his face. “Then I guess you know that he’s getting married in the fall.”

Magnus squints his eyes, head tipped to the side in confusion. Of course he knew, he was attending the wedding, but it seemed like an odd thing to mention. Before he can ask why exactly Alec mentioned that, Alec explains.

“My mom.”

“Oh.” It’s Magnus’ turn to be surprised, though it only takes him a moment to gather himself. “You’re a Lightwood.”

Magnus tries not to sound accusing. He knows Alec has nothing to do with his parents’ past, and even Maryse seems to have turned around for the better. Heck, Luke wouldn’t be marrying her unless she had.

“I am,” Alec simply replies, seeming to understand the innocent intention behind the comment. 

Neither of them says anything for a while, Magnus observing Alec play with the straw in his half empty glass. He appears to be rather content in the moment, looking entirely at ease sitting here with Magnus.

“Okay,” Magnus gently breaks the silence, “so you aren’t fresh out of high school. What do you do then, Mr Lightwood?”

Alec rolls his eyes, but it’s accompanied by an amused, almost fond look in Magnus’ direction. “I would tell you not to call me that but I guess I should start getting used to it.”

At that, Magnus raises an eyebrow, a quizzical expression on his face, but once again, Alec explains before he can say a word.

“I’m a teacher. Or, at least I’m going to be,” Alec says, and the excited look in his eyes as he says it is way more adorable than Magnus would like to admit. “I just graduated last month, but I start teaching in September. Pre-school.”

“That’s great,” Magnus replies.

He would have said more, asked about the job, but he’s too busy trying to force himself not to picture this attractive, charming, sweet man -- that he’s known for just about three hours -- surrounded by and interacting with a bunch of little kids. 

He doesn’t succeed. Man, he’s so screwed.

Beside him, Alec is placing his now empty glass back on the table before moving to get out of his chair. He looks back and forth between Magnus and the garden, gesturing vaguely in the direction of the spot where Magnus found him earlier.

“I, uh, I should get back to work,” he says, walking towards the stairs before turning around and flashing Magnus a smile. “Thanks for the lemonade, by the way.”

Magnus returns the smile, finding it harder and harder not to smile in Alec’s company. Maybe, he thinks, maybe he should start working more from home over the summer. 

“You’re welcome, Alexander.”

**Author's Note:**

> feel free to come and yell @ me on [tumblr](http://daddariossmile.tumblr.com/)


End file.
